Ham. Nay, come again

Ofr. Look to the Queen there, ho!

Hor. They bleed on both fides. How is't, my Lord? Cfr. How is't, Laertes?

Leer. Why, as a woodcock to my own fpringe, Ofrick; I'm justly kill'd with mine own treachery.

Ham. How does the Queen?

King. She fwoons to fee them bleed. Queen. No, no, the drink, the drinkOh my dear Hamlet, the drink, the drink,I am poifon'd

[Queen dies.

Ham. Oh villany! ho! let the door be lock'd: Treachery! feek it out

Laer. It is here, Hamlet, thou art flain,

No med'cine in the world can do thee good.
In thee there is not kalf an hour of life;
The treach'rous inftrument is in thy hand, (75)
Unbated and envenom'd: the foul practice
Hath turn'd itself on me. Lo, here I lie,
Never to rise again; thy mother's poison'd ;

(75) The treach'rous inftrument is in thy band,

Unbated and envenom'd.] The King, in the fourth aft̃, in the fcene betwixt him and Laertes, fays;

So that with ease,

Or with a little shuffling, you may chufe
A fword unbated, and in a pafs of practife
Requite him for your father.

In which paffage the old folio's read,

A fword unbaited

which makes nonfenfe of the place, and destroys the Poet's meaning. Unbated fignifies, unabated, unblunted, not charg'd with a button as foils are. There are many paffages in our Author, where bate and abate Gignify to blunt.

But doth relate and blunt his natural edge
With profits of the mind.

That honour which fhall bate his fcythe's

Mcaf. for Meaf. keen edge. Love's Labour Loft.

For from his metal was his party feel'd,
Which once in him abated, all the reft
Turn'd on themselves like dull and heavy lead.
So, likewife, Ben Johnson in his Sad Shepherd.
As far as her proud fcorning him could bate,
Or blunt the edge of any lover's temper.
VOL. VIII.

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2 Henry IV.

I can

I can no more

the King, the King's to blame.

Han. The point envenom'd too?

Then venom do thy work.

All. Treason, treason.

[Stabs the King.

King. O yet defend me, friends, I am but hurt.

Ham. Here, thou incestuous, murd'rous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion: is the Union here?

Follow my mother.

Laer He is juftly served.

It is a poifon temper'd by himself.

[King dies.

Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet ;
Mine and my father's death come not on thee,
Nor thine on me!

[Dies.

Ham. Heav'n make thee free of it!! follow thee.
I'm dead, Horatio; wretched Queen, adieu!
You that look pale, and tremble at this chance,
That are but mutes or audience to this act,
Had I but time, (as this fell ferjeant death
Is ftrict in his arreft) oh, I could tell you-
But let it be-Ho atio, I am dead;
Thou liv'ft, report me and my cause aright
To the unfatisfied.

Hor. Never, believe it.

I'm more an antique Roman than a Dane ;
Here's yet fome liquor left.

Hom. As th' art a man,

Give me th' cup; let go; by heav'n, I'll have't..
Oh good Horatio, what a wounded name,

Things ftanding thus unknown, shall live behind me?
If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,

Abfent thee from felicity a while,

And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain,
To tell my tale. [March afar off, and fhout within.

What warlike noise is this?

Enter Ofrick.

Ofr. Young Fortinbras, with conqueft come from To the Ambaffadors of England gives

This warlike volley.

Ham. O, I die, Horatio:

[Poland,

The potent poifon quite o'er-grows my spirit;
I cannot live to hear the news from England.
But I do prophefy, th' election lights

On Fortinbras; he has my dying voice;

So tell him, with th' occurrents more or less,
Which have follicited. I he reft is filence.

[Dies.

[Prince;

Hr. Now cracks a noble heart; good-night, sweet And flights of angels fing thee to thy reft!

Why does the drum come hither?

Enter Fortinbras, and English Ambassadors, with drum, colours, and attendants.

Fort. Where is this fight?

Hor. What is it you would fee ?

If aught of woe or wonder, cease your fearch.

Fort. This quarry cries on havock.
death! (76)

What feast is tow'rd in thy infernal cell,
That thou fo many Princes at a shot

So bloodily haft ftruck?

Amb. The fight is difmal,

O proud

And our affairs from England come too late :
The ears are fenfelefs, that should give us hearing;
To tell him, his commandment is fulfill'd,
That Rafincrantz and Guildenstern are dead :
Where should we have our thanks?

Hor. Not from his mouth,

Had it th' ability of life to thank you :

He never gave commandment for their death. (77)

-Ob, proud Death!

But

(76) What feaft is tow'rd in thy eternal cell.] This epithet, I think, has no great propriety here. I have chose the reading of the old quarto editions, infernal. This communicates an image fuitable to the circumftance of the havock, which Fortinbras looks on and would reprefent in a light of horror. Upon the fight of so many dead bodies, he exclaims against death as an execrable, riotous, deftroyer; and as preparing to make a savage, and bellish feast.

(77) He never gave commandment for their death.] We must either believe, the Poet had forgot himself with regard to the circumstance of Rofincrantz and Guildenftern's death; or we must understand him thusi

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But fince fo full upon this bloody question,
You from the Polak wars, and you from England,
Are here arriv'd; give order, that these bodies,
High on a ftage be placed to the view,

And let me fpeak to th' yet unknowing world,
How these things came about. So shall you hear
Of cruel, bloody, and unnatural acts;

Of accidental judgments, cafual flaughters;
Of deaths put on by cunning, and forc'd caufe;
And, in this upfhot, purposes mistook,

Fall'n on th' inventors' heads. All this can I
Truly deliver.

Fort. Let us hafte to hear it,

And call the Nobleffe to the audience.

For me, with forrow I embrace my fortune;
I have fome rights of memory in this kingdom,
Which, now to claim my vantage doth invite me.
Hor. Of that I fhall have also cause to speak,
And from his mouth whofe voice will draw on more:
But let this fame be prefently perform'd,

(78)

Even while men's minds are wild, left more mischanse On plots and errors happen.

Fort. Let four captains

Bear Hamlet, like a foldier, to the stage;

For he was likely, had he been put on,

thus; that he no otherways gave a command for their deaths, than in putting a change upon the tenour of the King's commiffion, and warding off the fatal fentence from his own head.

(78) And from his mouth, whose voice will draw no more.] This is the reading of the old quarto's, but certainly a mistaken one. We fay, a man will no more draw breath; but that a man's voice will draw no more, is, I believe, an expreffion without any authority. I chuse to efpouse the reading of the elder folio.

And from bis mouth, whofe voice will draw an more.

And this is the Poet's meaning. Hamlet, just before his death, had faid;

But I do prophefy, th' election lights

On Fortinbras: 'he has my dying voise;

So tell him, &c.

Accordingly, Horatio here delivers that meffage; and very juftly infers, that Hamlet's voice will be fecorded by others, and procure them in favour of Fortinbras's fucceffion,

Το

To have prov'd moft royally. And for his paffage,
The foldier's mufick, and the rites of war
Speak loudly for him

Take up the body: fuch a fight as this

Becomes the field, but here fhews much amifs.
Go, bid the foldiers shoot.

[Exeunt, marching: after which, a peal of
Ordnance is fbet off.

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